title: Antiplatelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) activity in the saliva of ixodid ticks is linked with their long mouthparts.
abstract: The saliva of blood-feeding arthropods modulates their vertebrate hosts' haemostatic, inflammatory and immune responses to facilitate blood feeding. In a previous study, we showed that salivary gland products from ixodid tick species also manipulate the wound-healing response by targeting at least four different mammalian growth factors: transforming growth factor β1, hepatocyte growth factor, fibroblast growth factor 2 and platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF). In addition, species that showed PDGF-binding activity also inhibited cell proliferation in vitro and induced changes in cell morphology accompanied by disruption of the actin cytoskeleton. Here, we show a correlation between the length of the tick hypostome, the sclerotized feeding tube of the mouthparts inserted into the host's skin and anti-PDGF activity. This apparent link between hypostome length, and hence the potential depth of skin damage, and PDGF-binding activity was not apparent for the other growth factors or for other cytokines important in wound healing (keratinocyte growth factor, interleukin 6 and stromal cell-derived factor 1). However, PDGF-binding activity was no longer correlated with anti-cell activities, indicating that an additional as yet unidentified activity in tick saliva may affect cellular changes in wound repair.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Zoology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Slovák
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Štibrániová
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Hajnická
authors.forename: P A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Nuttall
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002460:Cell Line; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D048430:Cell Shape; D016207:Cytokines / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000166:cytology; D026863:Ixodidae / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000737:chemistry*; D015603:Keratinocytes / Q000166:cytology; D051379:Mice; D009055:Mouth / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D041681:NIH 3T3 Cells; D010982:Platelet-Derived Growth Factor / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000378:metabolism; D011485:Protein Binding; D012463:Saliva / Q000737:chemistry; D012469:Salivary Glands / Q000737:chemistry; D014020:Tissue Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D010982:Platelet-Derived Growth Factor; D014020:Tissue Extracts
keywords: Growth factor; immune modulation; tick saliva